Anderson could face rap for outburst

Lancashire’s James Anderson faces an anxious wait to discover whether his ‘unacceptable’ behaviour on day two of the third Investec Test results in censure from match referee Richie Richardson.

Anderson admitted his reaction to both on-field umpires was “out of order”, in separate incidents after each pointed out he was running into the prescribed ‘danger area’ on the pitch in his follow through.

It was Bruce Oxenford who officially warned him twice in the same over - leaving him one more admonishment from being excluded from the attack for the remainder of a Pakistan innings which reached 257 for three by stumps at Edgbaston.

But Anderson’s response in an initial exchange with Joel Wilson, in his morning spell from the pavilion end, made especially uncomfortable viewing as he appeared to dispute the umpire’s judgment and snatched his cap from him at the end of the over.

England endured a collectively frustrating day, as Pakistan moved into position to press for a significant first-innings lead in reply to their 297 all out - thanks to a second-wicket stand of 181 between Azhar Ali (139) and young opener Sami Aslam (82).

Anderson said: “I had a bad half-hour where I let things get to me. I’ve apologised to both umpires, because my behaviour wasn’t acceptable.

“I know I was out of order for the way I behaved. It wasn’t acceptable and it was petulant.”

It was after watching himself on television replay that Anderson - also reprimanded by the match referee earlier this summer for ‘disrespecting’ umpire Sundaram Ravi in the Lord’s Test against Sri Lanka - realised an apology was necessary.

“Having seen my reactions on TV, it doesn’t look great when I’m pointing at the pitch,” he added.